Today you’ll learn about the science of cognitive bias, how scientists may have found a way to turn your body into a battery, and how the first 3D-printed school in Europe is about to be built in Ukraine.
Today you’ll learn about the science of cognitive bias, how scientists may have found a way to turn your body into a battery, and how the first 3D-printed school in Europe is about to be built in Ukraine.
Cognitive Bias
Body Battery
3D Printed School
Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/cognitive-bias-body-battery-3d-printed-school
[SFX: INTRO MUSIC/WHOOSH]
NATE: Hi! You’re about to get smarter in just a few minutes with Curiosity Daily from Discovery. Time flies when you’re learnin’ super cool stuff. I’m Nate.
CALLI: And I’m Calli. If you’re dropping in for the first time, welcome to Curiosity, where we aim to blow your mind by helping you to grow your mind. If you’re a loyal listener, welcome back!
NATE: Today you’ll learn about the science of cognitive bias, how scientists may have found a way to turn your body into a battery, and how the first 3D-printed school in Europe is about to be built in Ukraine.
CALLI: Without further ado, let’s satisfy some curiosity!
[SFX: WHOOSH]
NATE: There’s a common belief that people don’t form opinions until they have access to all the facts surrounding them, but a recent study has revealed the exact opposite is true, particularly when it comes to politics: people are far more likely to form opinions based on emotions like fear, contempt, and anger than on facts.
CALLI: Not to sound cynical, but that’s part of why some politicians are more successful than others, right? The ability to cut to the core of people’s anxieties and promise them ways to not be anxious about those things anymore is a really effective ability.
NATE: Yeah, totally. New facts don’t change people’s minds, but confirmation of a deeply held belief will make people double down on that belief.
CALLI: I mean that makes sense. Our worldviews are shaped early on during childhood by our parents, teachers, neighbors, friends, and so on. But according to this study, why is it so hard to accept any kind of, I guess you could call it a challenge, to the beliefs we hold?
NATE: Well, it’s because that ”challenge” is just as antagonistic as the word challenge is. It feels like an attack on your personal identity, and what do you do when you’re attacked? You defend yourself. This is actually related to a cognitive bias every person inherently has, where any evidence that goes against something we believe is automatically rejected because it feels wrong to us.
CALLI: I feel like there’s a name for that…
NATE: There is. It’s, “Belief perseverance.” It doesn’t matter how compelling the facts we’re presented with are, whether it’s from the news or social media or even one-on-one conversations - we’re all likely to fall into this at some point.
CALLI: Hmmm, I dunno, Nate. I have a deeply held belief that everyone can be open minded, so I reject your evidence fully.
NATE: Haha, very funny, Calli. But this is especially true for political and personal beliefs. It happens a lot with hot button issues like abortion or gun control, no matter what side of the argument you’re on. And when you double down on your beliefs after being presented with opposing information, you experience something called a “backfire effect.”
CALLI: And much like when a car backfires, the backfire effect can be potentially explosive!
NATE: Right. But there’s more to it than belief perseverance and backfire effects, it’s also confirmation bias which is the natural tendency we all have to seek out information or interpret things in a way that supports our beliefs. It makes us interact with people we share interests and ideologies with, or consume media that reinforces our biases. There are news sources on both sides and, if you’re not aware of your own biases, it can lead to errors in judgment because it takes away your ability to look at a situation objectively.
CALLI: Give me an example.
NATE: Well, the study cites a 2016 Gallup poll that followed a two-week period following the 2016 election. Before the election, Republicans thought the economy was doing badly, but Democrats thought the economy was flourishing. In just two weeks, the position COMPLETELY flipped. Republicans thought the economy was great, and Democrats thought it had tanked.
CALLI: Is it even possible for an economy to tank that quick?
NATE: Not really, and that’s the point: the only difference here was a changing of the guard. When the poll started, a Democrat was president. When it ended, a Republican was president. I honestly can’t think of a clearer example of confirmation bias.
CALLI: It’s still all so weird, though. Why do you think this happens?
NATE: As always, the answer is science. Our brains just want to protect us, Calli - sometimes that means doubling down on our beliefs. Because winning a debate or argument can trigger a flood of hormones like dopamine and adrenaline. Winning is comparable in our brains to the pleasure we get from eating, roller-coaster rides, and even sex.
CALLI: And all of those can be joyous feelings that make us want more. Okay. That makes sense.
NATE: Conversely, our bodies release ANOTHER hormone when we’re stressed out called cortisol that takes control of advancing thinking, reason, and logic. It makes us feel threatened. That’s why in political debates, you see people raise their voices and tense up.
CALLI: Ugh. You’re so right. But there’s gotta be a way to change it, right?
NATE: There sure is. And it’s pretty simple: tell yourself to keep an open mind, then seek out new information from as many perspectives as possible. And yes, there are some issues that “both-sides-ing” as they call it, don’t pertain to, but that’s another thing you can figure out through open-mindedness.
CALLI: Like trusting health care professionals in light of a global pandemic?
NATE: DUH. And by still retaining at least a bit of skepticism, we can also seek out who's more trustworthy. For example, if a social media personality is saying something interesting, but nobody reputable agrees with their claims, then what we can do is figure out whether that person is either feeding into their own biases, or if they have a vested interest in spreading misinformation.
CALLI: Right. So to recap: keep all perspectives in mind, remain open minded, but be sure to spot a con artist for who they are?
NATE: Exactly.
[SFX: WHOOSH]
CALLI: If our bodies generate and use energy, something a battery does, wouldn’t it make sense for humans to be used as batteries? That’s the subject of a new study out of Singapore that has figured out that very question.
NATE: There’s a lot to unpack there, Calli. For starters, why do you think humans should even BE batteries?
CALLI: I mean, why not? While we walk, run, or even breathe, we move. If we had a system capable of collecting and storing that energy, we could use it to, say, charge our phones.
NATE: Okay, duly noted. So, how would this even work?
CALLI: I feel like you’re being a little skeptical but, bear with me. The concept is actually pretty simple: clothing! More specifically, a coat. The team of researchers actually created a piece of cloth, 3 centimeters by 4 centimeters, that generated enough energy to power 100 LED lights. And even after washing, folding, and crumpling the fabric, it worked perfectly for five months.
NATE: Whoa. How does it work?
CALLI: Polymer. Specifically, one of the main components is a piece of polymer that converts mechanical stress into electricity when it gets pressed or stretched or squeezed whenever it comes into contact with another surface. You know what surface is right next to clothes? Skin. And the reason the polymer works so well is because it’s rubber-like in texture, so it’s stronger, more flexible, and most importantly, WATERPROOF.
NATE: That’s quite an idea. How did they build something like this?
CALLI: First, they screen-printed a pattern of electrodes onto some material made of silver and a chemical called styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene, which I’m definitely just gonna call SEBS for short. Combine those two, and you get something that feels like the foam rubber you’d find on a bicycle handgrip. Then, they attached the electrode to a piece of nanofiber made up of a few different chemicals.
NATE: Which chemicals?
CALLI: Dangit Nate. [Sigh] They’re called… polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene, or PVDF-HPF for short, and perovskites, which are calcium titanium oxide minerals.
NATE: That’s… a lot of letters. What do they do?
CALLI: The PVDF-HPF produce the electrical charge whenever the material is stretched or pressed, and when it’s combined with the perovskite, it becomes more stable, even crystal-like in structure. But most importantly: the combination of the two increases the electrical output.
NATE: By how much?
CALLI: This prototype fabric alone, which, remember, is only a few centimeters wide, is capable of generating two and a half watts of electricity per square meter. To put that even more simply: enough electricity to make sure your phone never dies.
NATE: Okay that sounds cool! I’m surprised something like this hasn’t been invented sooner.
CALLI: Eh, human-motion-powered electricity isn’t new. For example, there’s an arts district in Las Vegas that already uses pedestrian footsteps to power its lighting. A nightclub in Glasgow announced last year that it was going to use energy from its dancers to power its heating and cooling systems. Even in clothing, there are a number of ways to charge using small wires and circuitry installed in the seams.
NATE: So what makes this fabric different?
CALLI: For starters, it’s the only known version that can safely be crushed into a drawer or even washed. On top of that, it lasts longer, is less bulky, and all in all, is a more convenient way for people to have electrical charging fabric on their bodies!
NATE: So how soon will I be able to throw away all of my chargers and buy these clothes?
CALLI: It’s still in the prototype stage, but assuming it all works out, we could see something like this hit the market in just a few years!
[SFX: WHOOSH]
NATE: At this point, we’ve talked a lot on this show about the miracles of 3D printing, and just how far people are willing to go to create something from seemingly nothing. From guns to bridges, it’s starting to seem like you can 3D print anything. I’ve actually been working on my own 3D printed Iron Man suit. It’s the mark 85 which is the suit he wears in the very last movie he’s in. It’s looking pretty good I think. I just finished painting it and wore it for the first… it LOOKS like Iron Man! And it’s made from 3D printed plastic!
CALLI: It’s the coolest.
NATE: That being said, what if instead of cosplay, 3D printing could be used to fix something broken - like say, buildings destroyed during a war?
CALLI: I mean Nate, I’d say if you’re trying to fix something you already can, you’re literally Iron Man at this point so, you can save the day. The end. Thanks for listening to Curiosity. I’ll miss you. But jokes aside, that would be really cool if it could happen!
NATE: OK well, again, cosplay. Still working on nanotech, flight, super strength, and all the other gadgets its got. But, the good news is the word isn’t “if.” It’s “when.” A non-profit organization called Team4Humanity has been focused since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on delivering food, medical supplies, and hygiene products to Ukrainians. To date, they’ve helped over 100,000 people, but they weren’t focused on helping rebuild infrastructure… at first. You see, over 2,000 of Ukraine’s 17,000 schools have been damaged or completely destroyed. By June 2022, nearly 3 million children were displaced from their schools. It’s a real disaster. So as Ukrainians begin to migrate over to the more relatively safe city of Lviv, Team4Humanity decided they’re going to help rebuild - and the easiest way to do that is through 3d printing.
CALLI: It’s a little bittersweet, because this is such a tragedy for those kids. But it’s so amazing that people are capable of coming together like this. But, you know 3d printing better than I do at this point, what makes 3d printing the easier way to rebuild infrastructure?
NATE: I think you actually own more 3D printers than I do.
CALLI: I mean I do, but you’ve used yours more.
NATE: It’s faster and more efficient in terms of energy for what they’re doing. Team4Humanity is using 15 3d printers to begin the initial construction of the buildings, before they start training Ukrainians how to use the printers to recycle debris of destroyed buildings into new materials. Usually, during humanitarian projects that rebuild infrastructure during war time, new buildings take weeks or months to put together and are often temporary, with little insulation to offer any comfort in times or extreme weather. But these buildings are designed to be more eco-friendly and energy-efficient, incorporating recycled water systems and solar panels to produce renewable energy - energy that’s shared between all of the homes. AND, by 3d printing the buildings, they’re built to last - in just a matter of TWO DAYS.
CALLI: Wait, back up, I’m sorry I thought you just said two days. Seriously? That’s really fast.
NATE: What’s even more impressive is Team4Humanity’s Back2UA program. This was launched in tandem with the renewable house initiative, and offers transportation assistance for people returning to Ukraine, all while catering to the daily needs of citizens, but particularly children in school. Considering the war has displaced seven million children from school and counting, this is huge. Plus, by training Ukrainians how to recycle debris for the printers, the possibilities are limitless. It’s not just schools: they can rebuild homes, bridges, warehouses, and so on.
CALLI: It’s amazing that Team4Humanity is doing this, but I’m still a little bit sad, I’ve never heard of anyone doing anything like this.
NATE: Ready to feel better about humanity, Calli? They’re not the only ones. Earlier this year, ICE Industrial Services, a Czech firm, revealed they were going to help rebuild Ukraine through 3d printing too. Though, they’re going to be 3d printing with a concrete printhead to rebuild the country’s border posts. Aside from infrastructure, the company BON 3D has 3d printed tourniquet parts for medicinal purposes, and a few other companies have backed an initiative called “Tech Against Tanks” that calls for funding in producing and distributing 3D printed medical, tactical and protective gear across the country.
CALLI: That’s actually amazing and does make me feel better. But at the time we’re recording this, November 2022, the war in Ukraine is ongoing. Is there a chance that all of these plans can be interrupted because of the war?
NATE: Well, unfortunately, it absolutely can be interrupted. Even as recently as October 2022, Russian missiles were still being launched into Ukraine, including into the relatively safe haven of Lviv. This has created a blackout in the city that’s temporarily delayed construction. But Team4Humanity is undeterred, and plans to begin construction as soon as power is restored.
CALLI: K, just saying, you do have an Iron Man suit and there’s a country in need. Maybe it’s time to, uh, let’s see what’s the word, assemble?
NATE: My suit is made of plastic, all the technology it has is one adreno that opens the mask and closes it again. Unfortunately has no superpowers. That’s not the worst idea, Calli. But jokes aside, I don’t think I’d need to play superhero when Ukraine has some actual superheroes 3d printing their infrastructure.
CALLI: Alright, I’ll cheer them on instead.
[SFX: WHOOSH]
NATE: Let’s recap what we learned today to wrap up. You might think that having all the facts would help someone change their mind, but you might be surprised to learn that a recent study says that’s not the case. In fact, the opposite is usually true: OPINIONS change opinions, as well as emotions. The solution to this? Staying open minded and respectful to as many viewpoints as possible, at least within moral reason!
CALLI: Scientists are working on creating a fabric that uses energy from the human body to create electricity. It’s just a prototype but the cloth has the ability to be a human-powered battery strong enough to charge your phone for the rest of your life!
NATE: In response to the ongoing war in Ukraine, a non-profit has started creating what will be the first 3D printed school in Europe. The project will use 15 3D printers to create the structure and the result will be an eco-friendly and secure school for kids in Ukraine!